5 Facts About the Most Expensive Omega Watch

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Omega Watches have a century long history and reputation of being the best luxury watch maker in the world, appearing everywhere from the wrist of Neil Armstrong during the moon landing, to the official timekeepers of the Olympic Games, to appearances in James Bond films.

Considering a watch brand that big, what would its most expensive watch be like? Definitely a charmer!

Omega De Ville holds the tag of the most expensive watch from Omega with the priciest model in the collection selling at over INR 76,00,000 of all the Omega watches on Ethos. What makes Omega Watches’ price sky high? Why does the Omega brand carry so much respect as a mark of quality? Here are some facts which explain why.

First Coaxial Escapement Watch

In 1997, the De Ville range became the first commercially available watches in the world to use coaxial escapement, a revolutionary piece of technology invented by English watchmaker George Daniels which has become an essential component of all of Omega’s best watches and has become almost synonymous with the brand. This single piece of technology significantly decreases the friction on the watch’s components, meaning it requires less lubrication, lasts for much longer, and doesn’t require nearly as much maintenance. It makes watches last an estimated ten years longer than regular watches. In an interview with Forbes magazine, Omega CEO Stephen Urquhart said that the coaxial escapement was what allowed Omega to become such a world leader in the watch industry.

Dust-Free Production

W the Journal, a top watch website, reported that Omega watches and the famous coaxial escapement pieces are produced on a heavily specialized assembly line, which looks more like a scientific research lab than a factory, by a team of thirty highly trained technicians and quality control checkers, all of which is monitored with microchip technology. Even the air and temperature in the facility are electronically controlled. The entire facility in Granges, Switzerland is designed to be kept free of dust, down to the smallest speck, to ensure top quality watches free of dust which can damage the inside of a watch. Both technicians and visitors are kitted out head to foot in dust free clothing and pass over sticky mats at the door. With such careful attention to detail, you know this means quality watches.

A Movie Star Favourite

As mentioned above, many Omega watches have famously appeared in James Bond films, equating the brand with style and luxury. Sean Connery’s Bond wore an Omega De Ville in the 1963 film From Russia With Love. Other celebrities spotted wearing Omega De Ville watches include George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, according to eagle eyes enthusiasts and tabloid photographers. Omega De Ville watches have also appeared in various other TV shows and films including Mad Men.

De Ville Watches Defy Gravity

Or at least they can appear to. On one of the most expensive and luxurious watches in the range, the De Ville Central Tourbillon—which according to TimeTransformed.com sells at around 200 thousand euros, close to 15 million Rupees—the seconds hand floats about its cage about once per minute. This gives the illusion that the watch hands are floating. Of course, physics defying watches haven’t yet been developed but it is a marvellous thing to behold, as well as being an altogether beautiful watch.

The Tourbillon Watch Takes 500 Hours to Produce

While it is clear that all of Omega’s watches are carefully made to the highest possible standard with every precaution taken, the Tourbillon, takes this to an extreme level. This is the reason for the excellent quality and high price of the Tourbillon watch: on Omega’s official website, the company states that it takes a single watchmaker 500 hours to make just one Tourbillon watch. This is done by sawing away any parts of the watch components that aren’t needed, leaving only the essential quality components. Each individual Tourbillon contains the initials of the watchmaker who gave it their personal touch, which also means this specific watchmaker can repair the watch if it should be returned for servicing or repairs. This combines to make the Tourbillon less of a watch and more of a unique work of art. It is no wonder that James Bond likes Omegas so much.

Image Source: www.omegawatches.com

With a combination of a long history, breakthrough patents, expert level manufacturing, and celebrity fans, it is no wonder that Omega watches scream perfection and has become such a recognizable global brand. It goes to show you that a work of art doesn’t need to be the size of a painting canvas, it can be as small as the bits most delicate clockwork. Try one for yourself and decide if it is truly worth the Bond stamp of approval; Do leave your comments here.

Very interesting and informational post. I’ve never been a fan of Omega and I can’t tell you why.. I’m a fan of Swiss wrist wear. I’m a die-hard Raymond Weil and Breitling girl. However, this post has educated in the world of Omega. Thank you for that.